Architectural and Portrait Photography

Historic and Archival Documentation

This gallery features documentation of historic structures and places for the purpose of archival preservation of the design and character. Photographic methods include large format 4x5 black and white negative film and archival level silver halide prints on fiber paper, as well as digital image capture and storage on archival disc. Many of these projects are on the campus of UC Berkeley, and several are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, such as Battery Slaughter and the Montgomery Street Barracks in the Presidio of San Francisco. In some cases where a historic structure is modified or demolished, mitigation for the loss is provided by documentation using HABS/HAER/HALS photography standards. (Historic American Building Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/ Historic American Landscape Survey) These standards were developed by the United States Department of the Interior and are designed to create an archival record with a viability of 200 years. Digital photography can be used for archival photography, but there is only a theoretical longevity of digital media, unlike film and traditional photographic methods. The hard drive of today could verrry easily become lke the 8 track tape or the 78rpm record: the data still exists, but the technology to access that data is virtually gone.